Jake Long Visits Giants Again: According to multiple press reports, unrestricted free agent offensive tackle Jake Long visited the New York Giants again on Wednesday. Long, who just met with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this week, originally met with the Giants on May 28. However, Long left the Giants without signing a contract for a second time and will reportedly visit with the Denver Broncos next. The New York Daily News is reporting that the Giants remain interested in Long, but he is exploring all of his options and is in “no rush” to sign a contract.

It does not appear that Jake Long will be signing with the Giants today. He is planning to leave tonight for a visit to the Denver Broncos.

The 30-year old Long was the first player selected in the 2008 NFL Draft when the Miami Dolphins picked him. Long played for five seasons in Miami and was selected to four straight Pro Bowls from 2008-11. In 2013, he signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams but tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee in a game in December 2013. Long then re-tore the same ACL in a game in October 2014. The injury-prone Long has finished each of the last four seasons on Injured Reserve. The Rams cut him in March 2015.

NJ.com is reporting that Long is believed to have “checked out medically” and went through an on-field workout for the Giants on Wednesday.

The 6’7”, 322-pound Long was once regarded as one of the best left tackles in the game, but two back-to-back ACL tears to the same knee have obviously put his career in jeopardy. If Long can pass a physical and contribute, he could provide competition and insurance for an offensive line that will be without starting left tackle Will Beatty for the first half of the 2015 season. Beatty tore his pectoral muscle while lifting weights in May.

During spring workouts, the Giants first-team offensive line has had Ereck Flowers at left tackle, Justin Pugh at left guard, Weston Richburg at center, Geoff Schwartz at right guard, and Marshall Newhouse at right tackle.

Tom Coughlin Comments on JPP:In an interview with SI.com, New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin spoke about Jason Pierre-Paul for the first time since the defensive end severely injured his right hand and arm in a July 4th fireworks accident. There is still no concrete information on the true extent of Pierre-Paul’s injuries which are believed to include a right index finger amputation (including knuckle), fractured right thumb (requiring pins), skin grafts to his lower right arm, and possibly additional finger and hand fractures.

“I texted Jason right away (after I heard about the accident),” said Coughlin. “I just said, ‘How can I help you?’ But I didn’t hear anything back, so. And really there has been very little information even to this point in time. Everybody in this building is concerned with him and his welfare. Even to the point where this fiasco, when Ronnie (Barnes) goes down there and Jessie (Armstead) goes down there, and he won’t see them – these are the people he has depended on all the time he has been there. I don’t know what he thought he was going to accomplish by not allowing them to be there to assist, to help, whatever needed to be done.

“I thought that was a really poor move by them. By his people. I don’t know what they think they are hiding. It only makes us, me personally, think the worst. I think (Defensive Line Coach) Robert Nunn has talked to him a couple times on the phone. He tries to assure people that he is fine or going to be fine, but I don’t know any more than that.

“I want to be there for him. But he’s decided that he doesn’t want our help. He thinks that something will come of it. But, all I care about, all any of us care about, the whole organization, is the well-being of the kid. Something traumatic has taken place here, and we have all kinds of experts here in this city that are at our disposal. Putting those things together is very easy.”

Coughlin was then asked if he thought Pierre-Paul would report to training camp on Thursday. “I don’t know,” responded Coughlin. “I don’t know what to expect anymore. I told everybody I thought he would come to the mandatory mini-camp. I thought he would be here for that. He didn’t come for that, either. Now that’s not all his doing. The agent has a big part in that, and it should be that the player takes a stand, but he’s obviously going to take the advice of his agent.”

In an interview with The New York Post on Tuesday, New York Giants President and CEO John Mara spoke about Jason Pierre-Paul for the first time since the defensive end severely injured his right hand and arm in a July 4th fireworks accident. There is still no concrete information on the true extent of Pierre-Paul’s injuries which are believed to include a right index finger amputation (including knuckle), fractured right thumb (requiring pins), skin grafts to his lower right arm, and possibly additional finger and hand fractures.

“I think I may have used some language that I wouldn’t like my grandchildren to hear me use,’’ Mara said of his reaction to hearing the news about the accident. “I could not believe, that here we haven’t even gone to training camp yet and we’ve lost two starters — (offensive tackle Will Beatty) in the weight room and one to a fireworks accident. So it was more of a state of disbelief that I was in. I’ve been around a long time, seen a lot of things…but this one was a shock.”

Mara told The Post that he has “no idea” when Pierre-Paul will report to training camp. Players under contract are required to report to camp on Thursday, but Pierre-Paul has yet to sign his 1-year Franchise tender.

Pierre-Paul and his representatives did not allow team officials to visit with Pierre-Paul immediately after the accident when Pierre-Paul was in the hospital. And the Giants remain in the dark about his true condition.

“I don’t think JPP is receiving very good advice right now,’’ said Mara. “The fact that (team officials) went down (to the hospital in Miami) and hung around for two days and were not allowed to see him was very disappointing to me…He has told people that he’s fine and he’s going to be ready to play, but until we see the hand, we’re just not sure.”

“He texted me back right away (when I texted him after the accident), said he was going to be fine, that it’s just a little bump in the road and that he’ll be back as good as ever,’’ Mara said. “I know (General Manager) Jerry (Reese) has texted him and I know he’s had some communication with Robert Nunn, his defensive line coach, and I think (Senior Vice President of Medical Services) Ronnie (Barnes) spoke to him recently.”

The deadline for Pierre-Paul to sign a long-term deal with the team this year has passed. He still has a 1-year, $14.813 million tender offer on the table from the Giants.

“We obviously are going to have to see him first and determine whether or not he’s capable of playing this year before we take one step further,’’ said Mara. “We’d like him to come in and report, and at the very least, learn the new defense that Steve Spagnuolo is putting in. And to have some of the best doctors in the world, who are located within a few miles of this place, take a look at him and see if there’s anything further that can be done to help him.”

Justin Tuck Comments on Jason Pierre-Paul: There has not been much word on New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul since the immediate aftermath of the July 4th fireworks accident that severely injured his right hand and arm. There is still no concrete information on the true extent of Pierre-Paul’s injuries which are believed to include a right index finger amputation (including knuckle), fractured right thumb (requiring pins), skin grafts to his lower right arm, and possibly additional finger and hand fractures. It is believed that Pierre-Paul has still not allowed Giants officials to meet with or examine him.

Former Giants teammate defensive end Justin Tuck, who is currently with the Oakland Raiders, told the press on Monday that he has been in regular contact with Pierre-Paul since the injury.

“I’ve been in constant conversation with JPP,” said Tuck. “He is (in good spirits). He’ll be the first one to tell you he made a mistake. He’s fine. He’s going to have a great year.”

“I think he will be (the same player),” said Tuck. “Once he gets used to playing again, you can’t deny his athletic ability. He’s a terror to block. Hopefully everything else gets healthy around him and if that is the case, I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be the JPP of the second half of the season like he was last year.”

Tuck did not seem overly concerned about the loss of Pierre-Paul’s right index finger on his overall game. “Honestly, the (three-point) stance is the only thing I think would be new (to him),” Tuck said. “JPP’s got huge hands. So I think he’ll make up for it.”

Giants.com Q&A with WR Corey Washington: The video of a Giants.com interview with wide receiver Corey Washington is available at Giants.com.

No Long-Term Deal for Jason Pierre-Paul: As expected, there will be no long-term deal for New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul in 2015. The deadline for NFL teams to sign their Franchise players passed at 4:00PM on July 15. Thus, if Pierre-Paul is physically able to play this season, he must do so on a 1-year contract. Pierre-Paul is the only Franchise player this year not to work out a long-term deal with his team.

The Giants designated Pierre-Paul their Franchise player in March with a 1-year, $14.813 million tender. Pierre-Paul has not yet signed that tender. He can still do so, or the Giants could rescind the tender (immediately making him an unrestricted free agent), or both sides can agree to a new 1-year contract compromise.

Pierre-Paul suffered serious injuries to his right hand in a July 4th fireworks accident at his South Florida home. There is still no concrete word on the true extent of Pierre-Paul’s injuries which are believed to include a right index finger amputation (including knuckle), fractured right thumb (requiring pins), skin grafts to his lower right arm, and possibly additional finger and hand fractures.

If the Giants eventually choose to attempt to re-sign Pierre-Paul to a long-term deal, they must now wait until the 2015 season is over. But unless Pierre-Paul is tendered again with a Franchise tag, there is no guarantee that he will return since he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Marcus Harris Had Microfracture Surgery:As we previously reported, WR Marcus Harris was waived/injured by the Giants on Wednesday. It was believed that Harris had relatively minor arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after the team’s mini-camp in June. However, NJ.com is reporting that the surgical procedure revealed a more serious issue which required much more serious microfracture surgery. The recovery time for microfracture surgery, which is sometimes career-threatening, is 5-6 months. The surgery basically ended his season before it started.

Harris impressed during training camp last year but was sidelined with shoulder and hip injuries that landed him on season-ending Injured Reserve in late August. Before that time, he had been receiving some first-team reps and looked to make the 53-man roster.

“No need to feel sad or sorry for me,” Harris said. “I don’t feel that way for myself.”

Report – Giants Expected to Sign S Jeromy Miles: According to ESPN, the New York Giants are expected to sign unrestricted free agent safety Jeromy Miles (Baltimore Ravens).

Miles, who will turn 28 years old next week, is a big safety (6’2”, 211 pounds) with decent athletic ability. He has spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals (2010-13) and Ravens (2013-14). Primarily a career back-up, most of Miles’ experience coming on special teams. He has three career starts, two coming last season with Baltimore. He finished 2014 with 28 tackles and one interception, pass defense, and forced fumble. Miles was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent the Bengals after the 2010 NFL Draft.

Miles was also a teammate of wideouts Victor Cruz and Julian Talley at the University of Massachusetts.

Jason Pierre-Paul Released from the Hospital: New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has reportedly been released from Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. Pierre-Paul suffered serious injuries to his right hand in a July 4th fireworks accident at his South Florida home. Pierre-Paul was a patient of the hospital for approximately 10 days.

There is still no concrete word on the true extent of Pierre-Paul’s injuries which are believed to include a right index finger amputation (including knuckle), fractured right thumb (requiring pins), skin grafts to his lower right arm, and possibly additional finger and hand fractures.

Giants.com Player Q&A’s: Video clips of Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

Jason Pierre-Paul suffered serious injuries to his right hand in a July 4th fireworks accident at his South Florida home. What has been reported is that Pierre-Paul had his right index finger amputated, pins inserted into his broken right thumb, and a skin graft to his lower right arm. There have also been press reports that there may be additional fractures in other fingers and his right hand.

What is not really known, since Pierre-Paul will not let the Giants’ doctors examine him, is if the injuries to Pierre-Paul are even worse than reported and when (or if) he could possibly return to play football in 2015. A “league source” told The New York Post that Pierre-Paul’s hand could even be more damaged than is known. “What are the chances it did only minimal damage to the thumb or middle finger?” the source asked The Post. “Doctors would tell you it’s more likely he lost his thumb from this than didn’t have any damage or even minimal damage. If he lost his thumb or did significant damage to it, his football career is over.”

Pierre-Paul could sign his Franchise tender immediately: This scenario is not likely as it gives the Giants the most control over the situation. The team could then put Pierre-Paul on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) List, where they have the option to pay him or not. If Pierre-Paul is still on the NFI by the start of the season, he must remain on it for the first six games of the season. If Pierre-Paul were to remain on the NFI all season, his contract would be “tolled”, meaning instead of becoming a free agent in 2016, he would remain a Giant under his 2015 tender (1-year, $14.813 million).

The Giants could rescind the Franchise tender: A team source has told The Daily News that the Giants have no intention of doing this because if Pierre-Paul cannot play, he will not get paid regardless. Pierre-Paul would become an unrestricted free agent if the Giants rescind the tender and free to sign with any other team. The only advantage to the Giants is it would create an additional $14.813 million in cap space for either 2015 or rolling it over into 2016.

Pierre-Paul could wait to sign the Franchise tender until he thinks he will pass the team physical: This is the scenario that Pierre-Paul’s camp is telling the media he will do. By waiting, Pierre-Paul can prevent the Giants from putting him on the NFI and docking his pay if he believes he will be able to return to the playing field sometime between Week 1 and Week 6 of the regular season. In other words, instead of missing out on all six weeks of his pro-rated $14.813 million salary, he could still still recoup some of those sizable paychecks by only signing the tender when he is physically ready. The downside for the team to this option is the Giants will not have access to Pierre-Paul until he is ready to return and the new defense under Steve Spagnuolo will be completely foreign to him.

Pierre-Paul could refuse to sign the Franchise tender and sit out the season: If Pierre-Paul is physically and mentally unable to play in 2015, this might be the best scenario for him. That way he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2016 and the Giants will have to decide whether or not they want to tender him again with the Franchise tag at an even higher rate than $14.813 million.

Pierre-Paul and the Giants could negotiate new Franchise tender terms:The Daily News believes this is the most likely scenario. Pierre-Paul could agree to return for one year on a salary lower than $14.813 million in return for the Giants promise not to place Pierre-Paul on the NFI. That way Pierre-Paul could report to training camp, enabling not only for the team’s medical personnel to monitor him but for Pierre-Paul to also learn the new defense.

ProFootballTalk is reporting that “a source with knowledge of the situation” said that Pierre-Paul would report to the Giants by the opener if the Giants agree to pay him his full $14.813 million tender, regardless if he is on the NFI List or not. Such a scenario is likely not very attractive to the team.

Report – Jason Pierre-Paul Won’t Sign Tender Until Healthy: According to ESPN, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will not sign his 1-year, $14.813 million Franchise tender until he is confidant that he can pass the team’s physical. Pierre-Paul suffered serious injuries to his right hand in a July 4th fireworks accident at his South Florida home on Saturday.

Source says JPP won't sign franchise tender until confident he can pass physical to prevent #Giants from putting on NFI, having full control

There are multiple problems for the Giants and Pierre-Paul given that scenario. Pierre-Paul is not likely to be able to pass a physical for weeks and perhaps months given the severe nature of the injuries (finger amputation, broken thumb and possible other broken bones, third-degree burns requiring skin grafts). Team officials, including medical experts, can be barred from seeing Pierre-Paul until he signs. The Giants will not be able to check on his overall mental state after the traumatic events.

Until signed, Pierre-Paul will not be able to attend team meetings in training camp to learn new Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Back in mid-June, Defensive Line Coach Robert Nunn was asked how difficult it would be for Pierre-Paul to catch up on the new defense since he did not attend any of the spring practices. “Yeah, there are wrinkles that you have got to be here to pick up and he has got to take it from the classroom to the field, but those things, we will begin in training camp and we will make it work,” said Nunn at the time.

So why would Pierre-Paul not sign the tender?

One reason could be that once Pierre-Paul signs the tender, if he can’t pass a team physical, the Giants could place him on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) List and not pay him. If Pierre-Paul is still not ready to play by the opener, he must remain on the NFI for the first six weeks of the season (and the Giants could choose not to pay his prorated salary of almost $926,000 per week). Pierre-Paul’s camp may think there is a good chance that Pierre-Paul might be ready to pass a team physical after Week 1 and before Week 7 and therefore not lose a few weeks of substantial paychecks.

The problem for the Giants in that scenario is what type of player would they be paying for? Pierre-Paul is permanently-damaged goods. Even if he was eventually capable of playing a high level (unknown), he will not be in football shape and will not know the new defense. The Giants may be paying almost $1 million per game for a player who isn’t worth it.

Reports – Giants Will Keep Jason Pierre-Paul:NJ.com is reporting that the New York Giants do not intend to part ways with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul who suffered serious injuries to his right hand in a July 4th fireworks accident at his South Florida home on Saturday.

“A person with knowledge of the situation” told NJ.com that the Giants “fully intend to have Pierre-Paul on their roster for the 2015 season.”

Pierre-Paul received a 1-year, $14.813 million Franchise tender from the Giants in March. He has yet to sign the tender but all indications are that the Giants do not currently intend to rescind offer.

The injuries to Pierre-Paul’s right hand and arm appear to be extensive. Pierre-Paul had his right index finger amputated on Wednesday. He also had pins inserted into his broken right thumb and a skin graft to his lower right arm. There are new unconfirmed media reports that there may be additional fractures in other fingers and his hand. The Giants still do not have an accurate picture of the true extent of the injuries because team officials have been barred by Pierre-Paul and his representatives from examining him.

Pierre-Paul decided to have the finger amputated in order to expedite his return to the playing field this upcoming season. According to NJ.com, had the finger not been amputated, there was no guarantee that doctors could save the finger and Pierre-Paul would not have been able to play this year.

The Giants were kept in the dark about the decision to amputate the finger despite a previous offer to have Pierre-Paul see a hand specialist in Manhattan.

“It has nothing to do against the Giants,” a person close to Pierre-Paul told NJ.com. “He’s handling his business…He doesn’t have an employer. He played out his contract.”

Given that there is no completely accurate picture of the true severity of the injuries, it is unknown when Pierre-Paul can realistically return to the practice field. In addition, it remains to be seen how badly the physical and mental scars will negatively impact his overall game.

As reported yesterday, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul had his right index finger amputated on Wednesday at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. Pierre-Paul suffered serious injuries to his right hand in a July 4th fireworks accident at his South Florida home on Saturday.

It is believed that Pierre-Paul’s entire right index finger and knuckle were removed all the way into the palm of his hand. Pierre-Paul also suffered fractures to his right thumb that needed pins to be inserted into the bone, requiring a second surgical procedure. According to media reports, the thumb injury will actually take longer to recover from than the amputation and will require six weeks to heal. A third surgical procedure for a skin graft to address severe burns to his lower right arm also appear to have been needed. The projected recovery time for the skin graft is currently not publicly known.

Amputation was one of several options presented to Pierre-Paul in order to deal with the right index finger injury. Pierre-Paul reportedly chose amputation in order to expedite his return to the playing field this upcoming season. The New York Post is reporting that a source said there was no guarantee the damaged finger would heal properly and be fully functional. What remains to be seen now is how badly a missing finger will impact Pierre-Paul for the rest of his NFL career. Defensive linemen require the use of their hands on every single play in order to fend off opposing offensive linemen.

A noted hand surgeon told The New York Post, “There’s no guarantee he can be the same defensive end he was. It changes your hand forever and narrows the palm.” The specialist told the paper that Pierre-Paul could lose between 5-35 percent of his hand strength. Former NFL players (see articles below) say Pierre-Paul will never be the same player.

Ever since the injury transpired on Saturday, Giants officials reportedly have been kept in the dark about the extent and severity of the injuries and the medical procedures that have followed. Team officials traveled to Miami early this week in an attempt to meet with Pierre-Paul but were denied access. Those officials, including Senior Vice President of Medical Services Ronnie Barnes, have since returned to New Jersey. According to multiple media reports, the Giants did not know about the amputation until it was tweeted out by ESPN. As Newsday has stated, “the Giants have had no input into his treatment and have no idea regarding any prognosis for recovery or timetable for rehabilitation.”

A team source told The New York Daily News, “We really don’t understand why they won’t let us help him. What are they trying to do?”The New York Post reports that Pierre-Paul’s camp refused the team’s offer to set him up with hand specialists in Manhattan. A team official told The Post, “We don’t know anything about his condition. We’re more concerned than upset.”

A free agent, Pierre-Paul received a 1-year, $14.813 million Franchise tender in March from the Giants that he has yet to sign. The Giants reportedly are no longer seeking to sign Pierre-Paul to a long-term deal before the July 15 NFL deadline for Franchise players to sign multi-year contracts. So unless the Giants rescind the tender, Pierre-Paul will be forced to sign the 1-year deal if he want to play and get paid in 2015. However, Pierre-Paul can control his absence from the team and the team’s access to him by not signing the tender.

If Pierre-Paul signs his tender and misses practice and playing time, the Giants can place him on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) List and not pay him. If Pierre-Paul is still on the NFL by the season opener, he must sit out the first six games of the regular season.

NFL.com reporter Kim Jones said on WFAN that the Giants would be willing to pay Pierre-Paul his $14.813 million tender and not put him on the NFI to dock his pay if he would report to training camp. That way, the Giants could monitor his healing process while Pierre-Paul attends meetings and learns the new defense under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Historical Photo Album

Part of the USA Today Sports Media Group
BigBlueInteractiveSM provides news, analysis, and discussion on the New York Football Giants. The site is owned and operated by Big Blue Interactive, LLC. If you
have any questions or comments about this website, please see our contact information page.